The Pie in the Sky…

The phrase “pie in the sky” was coined by Joe Hill in 1911.  

1.

informal

used to describe or refer to something that is pleasant to contemplate but is very unlikely to be realized.

“don’t throw away a decent offer in pursuit of pie in the sky”

synonyms: false hope, illusion, delusion, unrealizable dream, fantasy, pipe dream, daydream, reverie, mirage, castle in the air

Suddenly it dawned on me…. and seeing I am blonde (although apparently quite educated) ‘dawning’ is a somewhat unfamiliar experience altogether.

But, here goes…

The philosopher in me always wants to (and certainly needs to) dissect all things pertaining to human actions which are either grounds for or consequences of emotions, moods, sentiments or plain instinctive behavior, which (in most cases) didn’t just happen to occur once-off for such action to transpire.

Nope. No-one alive can tell me that any particular action or reaction you took to, has not or did not start off as at the very least the tiniest memory or thought in your past (be it as a child or young adult) or as a wrongful action or deed which you engaged in (and perhaps even regretted) at some stage in your life. And no-one can tell me that anything that happens to you (albeit at the hand of another human being) has ever come as a real and total surprise.

We are all dreamers of dreams. And wishers of wishes. It’s what makes us humans and distinguishes us from animals. It’s what keeps our hope alive. It’s what makes us believe in a better ‘tomorrow’ and it’s what guides us through the occasional shadows and storms of life.

It is also (more often than not) based on what we deem to be “pies in the sky”. Those things that we either experienced in a distant past, which never came to fruition or became reality or those things we sometimes get a glimmer of  in our present existence which we aspire to or which we at the very least think not to be too far-fetched or difficult to pursue.

Sadly though, when we think of ‘pies in the sky’, we have to realize that they truly are just a fiction of our imagination. They ‘feed’ our ‘wannabe’ frame of mind when we are at our weakest – and if we’re sincere, we have to realize that feeding on a ‘pie in the sky’ for longer than a brief moment of any form of negative emotion (be it sadness, anger, sorrow or regret), makes one a complete egoist and probably even a narcissist, because the world (or rather the pies in the sky) revolve around you and you alone.

Here’s a thought: What if that pie came down? Would you still want to eat it? Would you care for a piece of pie that smashed all your expectations of what’s inside? Would you, expecting a sweet and luscious cherry pie, be thrilled to discover it be to Auntie Nora’s Beef Stew leftover concoction with a mash topping of the night before?

Here’s another thought: If it didn’t fall down on you, would you care if it were anything else than that cherry pie you so adamantly fantasize it to be? Would you rather keep believing, because your thoughts on the fantasy are much more important to you than the facts of reality?

Talking of reality: you do realize that that pie WILL fall down sooner or later, don’t you? The real question however is, whether you’re ready for the revelation of its complete composition.

What if you put that ‘pie in the sky’ there yourself? What if you filled it with sweet cherries and personally dusted it with castor sugar? What if you put it on a shelf (high enough not to be able to reach it effortlessly, but low enough to stay within sight, just so you can persuade yourself that it’s your pie after all and that you can have it anytime you want or need – and you have a lick every year or so and sprinkle it with a little more sugar just to camouflage the maturing odour that starts emitting from it, because you are convinced that cherries have a long shelf life and it stays your pie regardless.

By the way… do you realize, that that periodic lick of the pie, which may soothe the occasional gloomy emotion, affords enough toxins to wipe out any chance of optimism and hope anyway?

My advice? Eat the damn thing! Grab a hold of it and eat it. I dare you. And the more I dare you, the less you want to try, because you realize that all (even good) things decay after a while, however much you sugarcoat them.

Then I heard Pie say to him: “You can eat me, but ONLY if BB’s not around anymore”. How gracious, you might be lead to believe. Why? Because once BB’s gone and you eat it, she may not come running with a remedy for your resulting (food) poisoning? Because pie believes it all starts and ends with pie and if pie can’t fulfill the need to feed anymore, pie would rather see you meet your end alone than grant you the opportunity to become whole (which was the whole purpose of you becoming)? Because pie once saw you at your lowest and pie realized and sadly actually delighted in its power over you? And still does? And you, being the original pie creator, somehow have an incongruous pride and misplaced loyalty to a, by now, decayed and rotten tart eeeehhhmmm… pie.

Note to Pie: Feed him. Feed him well. If you don’t, remember that you are dealing with the original formidable pie b(m)aker of note. And that once he has tasted the rotten filling of his once delectable creation, he will discard it without hesitation and bake a new one, which you will have the unenviable privilege of seeing on the top shelf of his sky, patiently waiting to plummet down on him eventually, too.

 

The offer to taste or try a little bite or even eat the whole Pie still stands. No need for BB to go anywhere. Because, although BB is not an idiot (contrary to popular belief), BB has virtues and standards and integrity. BB makes promises and keeps them, for better and (or) worse. BB considers a commitment made before and in the presence of God (who was, incidentally, invited to her wedding ceremony, by your b(m)aker), as binding and sacred. And though BB doesn’t dictate anyone to honor or respect her, she can tell you that her God does. You play with her, you deal with her God. And if there’s nothing else she knows much of, it’s that that is a fact not you, or anyone else, can ever escape.

Patience, honesty and loyalty are virtues, dear Pie.

Spiritual rot, though, is sadly, an inevitable vice.